review
Amsterdam is also called Mokum. The word mokum is Yiddish and is derived from makom which is the Hebrew word for place. Jews have left a big mark on Amsterdam. Although the Second World War destroyed much, many remains can still be seen in the city. Jan Stoutenbeek and Paul Vigeveno thought it worthwhile to write a culture-historical guide with all kinds of walks through the city.
data
- title: Walks through Jewish Amsterdam ?? a culture-historical guide
- authors: Jan Stoutenbeek and Paul Vigeveno
- year: 1985 (a revised version was published in 2008 called ‘Jewish Amsterdam’)
- publisher: De Haan, Weesp
- ISBN: 90-228-4553-2
Contents of the book ‘Walks through Jewish Amsterdam’
The word mokum which means ‘place’ refers to Amsterdam. Jews living outside of Amsterdam lived in the mediene (province). This shows how important Amsterdam was to Jews. They have lived there since the 17th century and have since left many traces. Just think of the language (luck, mesjogge), humor (Sam and Moos), food (beef sausage, mai cheese, pickled meat, sour bombs, pickles, onions).
During the Nazi terror, the Jewish street scene and many buildings disappeared. Yet there is still a lot left and they are mentioned in the guide. The book starts with the Jewish history of Amsterdam. This is followed by nine hikes and two excursions. The walks are described on the basis of buildings, landmarks and objects. Attention is also paid to Jewish shops, restaurants and other places where Jewish life still takes place today. The walks are arranged chronologically (first three through the traditional Jewish quarter in the city center, then the business center and then the neighborhoods that arose in the 19th and 20th centuries). The book ends with two excursions in the immediate vicinity of Amsterdam. At the back of the book is a fold-out map indicating where the walks take place. A distinction is also made between important and less important objects.
the walks
- Jonas Daniël Meyerplein and surroundings
- Old Jewish quarter
- New Jodengrachten and the Plantage
- Inner city
- Weesperplein and surroundings
- Old south
- Museum area
- Beethovenstraat and surroundings
- Rivierenbuurt
field trips
- The main Jewish cemeteries
- Other objects around Amsterdam
View from Etsel
If you want to visit Amsterdam as a tourist attraction, you cannot ignore the Jewish neighborhoods. The Jews have left an indelible impression on the Jerusalem of the West. Before the Second World War, 80,000 Jews lived in Amsterdam, after the war there were only 5,000. When we look at the current (2011) number of Jews in the Netherlands, that is approximately 50,000. That is still 30,000 less than in Amsterdam at the time. After the war, the Jewish quarter had been dismantled, many people were murdered and houses looted and dilapidated. The Jews who remained now mainly live in Amsterdam-Zuid. However, many streets, squares and buildings keep the memory alive.
In the book, extensive attention is paid to the remains of Jewish life in Amsterdam. Taken together, the walks are quite long and cannot be done all at once. That would also be a shame because everything would be rushed off quickly.
Before taking the walks, it is best to read the entire book first so that you have a general impression of Jewish Amsterdam. Then you can take several or all walks.